Website worker who breached contract ordered to pay $13k

A website worker ordered to pay more than $50,000 for breaching his employment contract has now been ordered to pay a further $13,000 in costs including $6778 for the cost of a private investigator from Paragon NZ hired by Zeald.

Perry Bernard was accused by employer Zeald New Zealand Limited of 260 breaches of his contract after becoming “disillusioned and dissatisfied” with his job.

In an Employment Relations Authority determination released last week, he was found to have solicited work from Zeald clients, advertised his services on websites, and obtained customer details from Zeald’s database.

The determination said he thought he was being overworked and underpaid, despite being given a 20 per cent pay rise in order to encourage him regarding his long-term future with the company.

He was ordered to pay the company $50,000 for the 263 known breaches of contract, $937 in reimbursed income, and $6778 for the cost of a private investigator hired by Zeald.

In a new determination on costs, the authority said the parties had reached agreement on costs, and Mr Bernard was to pay Zeald $13,270.91.

That includes $8750 in legal costs, $4209 in private investigator’s fees, and reimbursement of filing and other administrative fees.